JACKSONVILLE – Let's get to it … Keith from Palatka, FL:
My consternation with not signing Stefen Wisniewski is over. I could not be happier with the signing. Whoever wins the center position, this signing gives us depth in the interior of our offensive line. We just got better Saturday. What do you think of this signing, Mr. Oehser?
John: It's very interesting your consternation with not signing Stefen Wisniewski ended when the Jaguars signed … wait for it … Stefen Wisniewski. This seems perhaps more than a coincidence. As far as your question, there's really nothing to dislike about the signing. It's reportedly a one-year deal, which means there's no long-term risk. It's also a logical addition. Wisniewski, who started the last three seasons for the Raiders, likely will compete with Luke Bowanko for the center position and it wouldn't be surprising to see Wisniewski there. It also gives the Jaguars an option at the guard position and Wisniewski easily could wind up pushing Zane Beadles at left guard.
Ed from Orange Park, FL:
The Jaguars reworked Marcedes Lewis' contract over the weekend. What does this mean?
John: It means Lewis almost certainly will be with the Jaguars at least one more season. It also means they will have a lot of front-line talent at the tight end position with him and Julius Thomas. For all of the criticism Lewis has received at times, he is a talented player and the Jaguars don't have enough of those. The Jaguars now can be creative with some two tight-end sets, and those can provide real match-up problems for defenses. It's an intriguing situation, and potentially a very productive position.
Gigantor from Jacksonville:
Second round … Jags are on the clock. There are two choices who grade out the same...a wide receiver and an offensive lineman. Do you think Dave takes the wide receiver or the O-lineman? All I read about is how the Jags need wide receivers and running backs. We need to not get Bortles killed. We need more competition on the line John. Say it with me John. O-LINEMAN. Sorry, needed to vent. Carry on....
John: Well, in the wake of the Wisniewski signing it's easy to say wide receiver, but I'd have said wide receiver anyway. I liked the idea of adding a veteran offensive lineman as opposed to a rookie. The Jaguars were really young there last season. Now, it's time to start maturing.
Eric from Montreal, Canada:
If a genie granted you the opportunity of meeting three people throughout the course of history, who would those three people be? The reason I ask is because my three would be Shahid Khan, David Caldwell and Gus Bradley. Gandhi was a close fourth.
John: Mine would be Abraham Lincoln and the guy who came up with the idea to put nacho cheese flavoring on stuff. And, Nick Jonas … duh.
Chris from Denver, CO:
Hey John, why is it that we see the old logo so often still? We even see the old logo on chairs in the locker room. Can you explain this for me?
John: You see the old logo a lot because the old logo was the only logo for a long time. That meant the old logo was on lots of things. It takes time to replace lots of things.
Charlie from Jacksonville:
"What say you?" is an irksome affectation one never hears in the common vernacular. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
John: That's quite a proclamation. I'm sure our assemblage of readers will be indebted to the proficiency and ability to flourish in our lexicon.
Wallace from Jacksonville:
So Blaine Gabbert scored ~50 percent higher on the Wonderlic than Peyton Manning and Drew Brees? Guess that kind of shows "how important" the Wonderlic score is to predicting the success of a quarterback in the NFL! No wonder we don't hear much chatter about players' Wonderlic scores these days! You agree O wise O-Man?
John: The Wonderlic remains what it always has been, and I feel about the same way as I always have felt. It's a tool that is part of the pre-draft process. A low or high score doesn't define a player, and very few teams – if any – have ever looked at the Wonderlic as the end-all in the draft process.
Kevin from Jacksonville :
One interesting part of the "running-backs-being-devalued" trend is that they're falling later and later in the draft so teams with quarterbacks like Rogers, Brady and Manning have a better chance to get the elite running backs. Having said that, I've heard talk lately about a trade for 12 and 19 with Cleveland. I would think in that situation, you almost have to go with an end at 12 and a running back at 19. Right?
John: "Have-tos," "musts" and "nevers" are tricky things during the draft, because you don't always know what's going to happen in front of you. That said, if the Jaguars could trade back and have a chance at one of the three or four top edge rushers and a running back such as Todd Gurley … yeah, I think they would consider that a good trade. I certainly would. As for the first part of your question, I suppose you're correct in theory, but it really hasn't changed the landscape of the NFL. There don't seem to be a tremendous number of elite running backs, and outside of Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch – whose team's approach is built around utilizing his strengths and complementing it with a strong defense – the "elite" running backs typically haven't dominated the postseason lately.
Brandon from Huntington, WV:
What is the deal with Greg Jennings? We need to bring him aboard. We need a veteran just in case Blackmon doesn't come back this year.
John: Jennings visited the Jaguars this week. While nothing was signed while he was here, there's nothing to indicate something can't get done in the coming weeks. Remember, free agency at this stage moves at a significantly different pace than in the high-priced early days early last month. Both sides have more time to make sure the fit is right and there's really no urgency. It's a similar situation to a player such as Wisniewski, who visited the Jaguars and several other teams recently before eventually signing with Jacksonville. Free-agent situations often remain fluid for a while in April. As for Jennings, remember: the decision is based on whether he can help the Jaguars. Blackmon's status is a separate issue.
Ed from Jacksonville:
If a GM thinks a rival will draft a particular player, would he bring that player in for an interview or workout, even though he wouldn't draft the player? For example, would DC bring in Mariota if he felt that Tennessee would take him? And how do GMs gather intelligence on other GMs' plans?
John: There might be an element of that. A bigger factor in the pre-draft visit is that it can benefit teams in later seasons. For example, it's very likely that one, two or three – or maybe even more – of the players brought in for pre-draft visits recently will be unrestricted free agents in four or five years. At that point, it's not a horrible thing to have a connection with the player – even if it's an older connection and even if it's only a matter of a brief visit and a conversation with an official and a coach. As far as how general managers gather information on the plans of others, they do it as you'd expect. They talk to as many people around the league as they can. They read as much as they can. They watch as much as they can. They analyze needs and history and anything else they can analyze. They assume everyone around the league is lying. Then, more often than not, they watch the draft and like the rest of us realize no one knows a whole lot about what other teams in the NFL are really thinking.
Dave from Orange Park, FL:
O-man, why does everyone say Poz is bad against the pass or in coverage? The guy has 11 interceptions - where does that rank among active middle linebackers? We've seen him break up many passes and make many tackles down the field, so what gives? Thanks!
John: I wouldn't say Paul Posluszny is bad against the pass. There are those who would say it, but I maintain he's better in that area than people think. But it's also not wrong to say he's better against the run than against the pass.
Mike from Section 110:
Tony Boselli just seems like he's the type of guy that's never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you. #TrueAmerican
John: #Trueroller
Cole from Jacksonville:
Where would we be as fans of sports journalism without Boselli's invention of the movable-type press? #trueamerican
John: #trueinnovator
Clyde from Jacksonville:
Enough with the Boselli stuff. If you have bromance going on with him, please keep it to yourself. That is all.
John: I'm not the one writing these things. #truebuzzkill